Neon Lights
by Aegyo SS501
Summary: SS501's fame is rising with the release of their newest album. Despite their hectic lifestyle, fate pulls them to find something they didn't even consider; Love. Who could win the love of their life when they fight each other for it? KJxJMxHJxOC HJxYSxOC
1. Game Stop

A/N: This is my first SS501 story and I haven't written in a long time, so please forgive me if it's a tad bit rusty. I really appreciate constructive criticism so please review! I really hope you enjoy it! SS501 FIGHTING!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN SS501! Believe me… I really, _really _wish I did. I wouldn't be here writing stories… I would be drooling all day long. I also do not own Game Stop, Castle Thorn Software (or any of its branches), or any of its games. Again… I really wish I did.

***IMPORTANT*:** This Story is switched between 3rd person omniscient and 1st person KyuJong POV.

**Chapter One**

February, Tuesday 05, 2010

"This coming weekend will be a very exciting one with the new Game Stop's Grand Opening in downtown Seoul. In celebration of the Opening, CEO of Castle Thorn Software LLC will be holding a small tournament for gamers. Winner of the tournament will win 10,000 won in credit towards Game Stop Purchases. Public is welcome to participate or just enjoy the sport by watching." I read the newspaper article aloud as my roommates were eating breakfast and drinking coffee.

"Oooh, we're getting another Game Stop? Maybe now we wont have to wait forever for our games to come in from orders." My hyung, HyunJoong, was sitting across from me at the table, sipping on his piping hot drink. I could see the steam rising from his cup.

"Yeah I guess so. Who is Castle Thorn Software anyways?" I said, looking for the company's name as I said it. I hated reading in English, probably because I was bad at it.

"I don't know. Ask HyungJun. He knows all about that stuff since he's a nerd." My hyung said again, laughing this time as he took another sip. He always used to do that, as if it was a victory sip. I can't even begin to tell you how many times he's burned himself from his victory sips. "Where is he anyways? Or JungMin? It's already 12 in the afternoon, they don't need to be sleeping anymore. We got to bed in plenty of time for them to get their 8 hours."

HyunJoong was pretty much the father of the house. Most everyone listened to him and what he had to say, and being the oldest of us all, he felt like he had responsibility. But, we're all men here so of course, we do what we want anyways. YoungSaeng Hyung was kind of the mother figure. We never did much to bother him, and when he rarely got into our mischief with us, we were overly accepting to get him into trouble along with the rest of us. HyunJoong and YoungSaeng Hyung always used to conversate about how we needed to stay on track.

"Well, I doubt they are asleep anymore. When I woke up, HyungJun was already awake, choosing what to wear. I think he's in the shower. As for JungMin, no one ever knows where the hell he's at. The boy is a wild child I tell you. Absolutely wild." YoungSaeng Hyung had just finished making his Ttokbokki and was sitting down to eat it. He grabbed his chopsticks and searched around the bowl, flipping pieces of noodles over.

"YoungSaeng-Nim… what are you doing?" HyunJoong Hyung asked, looking at my other Hyung strangely.

"He's looking for the perfect noodle. He thinks its good luck if he eats the most perfect noodle first." I said, still with my nose in the newspaper. I had spent a lot of time with YoungSaeng, cooking in the kitchen and listening to his 'life advice'.

"It's true! Its good luck if you eat the most perfect piece first!" he said, eyes wide, as if that could help convince us he wasn't crazy.

HyungJun walked into the living room, which was connected to the kitchen. He lumbered into the door and looked at us, with confusion on his face. His brows tucked down, as if he was thinking out a tough problem. He surveyed each of us, as we looked up at him and stared back. My Dongseng made eye contact with each of us, and then looked back to the direction from which he came.

"Can anyone tell me why there is a litter of cats in my car…? It's just a box…. of cats… just chillin' there. Meowing." he said, tossing his hands around in confusion. He slightly shook his head from one side to the other, blanking out. Suddenly, The king sprinted into the kitchen and exploded in hysterical laughter. As I saw him running into the room, he swung his arms around in the air, screeching like an animal, getting ready to pounce on our poor unsuspecting baby. At that time, JungMin grabbed onto HyungJun and shook him violently while laughing uncontrollably.

"What the hell is wrong with you, boy?" HyunJoong Hyung yelled, pushing his chair back to avoid the collision.

"I DID IT! IT WAS ME! I PUT THE CATS IN YOUR CAR! HAHAHAHA!" JungMin screamed, latching himself onto HyungJun. "DO YOU GET IT?"

"NO! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN 'DO I GET IT?' WHAT KIND OF JOKE IS THAT? WHO THE HELL BUYS SEVEN CATS JUST TO PUT IN SOMEONE'S CAR?" HyungJun yelled, perhaps a little scared.

"I get it…" YoungSaeng Hyung said, smiling slightly. "Remember last week, when he bought his new car, and you said that only a pussy would get a car like that?" he said, looking at HyungJun. "and then JungMin said 'no, _your _car is for pussies.'?"

"Yeah? What about it?" HyungJun said, swatting his best friend away.

"A pussy is a cat…. He put cats in your car because it's a car. for. pussies."

HyunJoong Hyung burst out in laughter. HyungJun's jaw dropped. I can appreciate a good prank when I see one, and this one…. Well… JungMin could have done better.

"You put cats in my car, for that? How long have they been in there? It smells horrible!" HyungJun yelled, hitting JungMin in the head.

JungMin started to laugh again. "… couple days…"

"WHAT? IF THERE ARE DEAD CATS IN MY CAR, I'LL KICK YOUR ASS!"

"Don't worry… I've been feeding them!" JungMin looked at his best friend and held out his arms for a hug. "I did it for love!" He squeaked, jumping for HyungJun again. I'll be honest… there's so much not right about JungMin. All in all, everyone loves him.

After a bit of fighting, then playful fighting, then just playing, we were all sitting in the living room talking about our plans for the coming weekend. "HyungJun, have you heard of that tournament this weekend? It's for gamers. You should make a celebrity appearance." YoungSaeng Hyung said, tapping his arm. There was always that certain glimmer in HyungJun's eyes when you mentioned Gaming. At the time, he was aiming to become a professional gamer. I guess he just wanted to be known as someone other than the baby of SS501.

"Maybe I will… it could be fun." he smiled. We all knew what that meant.

"you're going to compete, aren't you?" HyunJoong hyung laughed, leaning back in his chair.

"You better believe it!" he said, getting up, and dancing around like usual. That's all it took, of course, to get JungMin excited. I can remember that day so very clearly. Our smiles were so bright and sure. None of us knew how drastically that newspaper article would change everything in our lives.

* * *

The sky was a dull, cool grey with not a single cloud . It was five in the morning and slightly windy. The snow on the ground was fresh from the night before. Turning into a parking spot, a young woman turned the heat in her car on high. There she would sit for the next hour in her yellow car, preparing herself for the first day of her new job.

After she collected her nerves, she opened the door and took a step into the cold. Suddenly, she wasn't so afraid anymore. Her journey started a year ago when she moved to Seoul to explore and be in the city she loved so dearly. Unfortunately, she had either quit or gotten fired from her pervious employment locations. You see, she was somewhat clumsy. She would either restock things and fall, bring people their orders and fall, or go to get change and fall. if she ever quit, it was out of embarrassment, and unfortunately, when she would leave her boss's office for the final time, she would fall. She had tried very hard to get this job and she would do everything in her power to make sure she kept it.

Back at her apartment complex, there was a very kind old woman who lived across the hallway from her. When the woman found out she needed a job, she contacted her desperate-for-help nephew to arrange an interview for her, and here she was. A quaint, little coffee shop in downtown Seoul with traditional French double doors stood small against some of the bigger industrial buildings in its surroundings. Although there was another apartment complex above the shop, it still wasn't much to add in height. She walked up to the heavy metal doors and reached for the handle.

"Hello, there Davin! It's nice to see you again! Please, come in. We'll get you ready for your first day." A friendly middle-aged woman smiled as she quickly opened the entrance, startling the newest addition to her employees. Her name was Ga-In and she was excited to have a foreigner work in her shop. A pretty girl like this would definitely bring in some more customers. Davin entered the coffee shop and was relieved to find that it was comfortably warm. "My husband won't be here until around noon, but it shouldn't be too busy until that time anyways. It's usually pretty slow this early in the morning, which will give me plenty of time to train you." The woman said, as Davin took off her heavy winter coat and followed her to the back room.

It was a tad bit musty and dark, but they only used it for inventory, storage, and meetings. Davin hung her coat on a weak hook placed above an old, wooden bench with the appearance of being hand-crafted. Perhaps it was the poor lighting, but the paint seemed worn and dull from years past. Her eyes wandered around the room. With the wood paneling on the walls and antique desk in the corner, it had a rustic motel feel to it. It was comfortable.

The hours started to rush by as Davin learned all of the assets needed for her job. People started to come in groups by eight A.M. Her nerves almost got the better of her when a customer asked for a complicated drink, but Ga-In willingly stepped to her side and walked her along until she had it right.

By ten, most of the customers had cleared out and Davin stood at the counter, anxious to get the hang of her new job. Through the big front windows, she watched the cars go by in the street and the people walking on the side walk. A big sign hanging across the street caught her eye. _Game Stop: Grand Opening This Weekend! _Davin sighed and rested her head on her wrist as she leaned on the counter.

"Game Stop, huh?…."


	2. Everyone Has Their Own Haven

A/N: Here we are with chapter two! I really hope everyone likes it. It's a little bit longer than chapter one, but I'm building up for chapter three. Please review guys! I would really appreciate it! SS501 FIGHTING!

Disclaimer:  SS501 is not mine. Isn't it a shame?

**Chapter Two**

As the day drew into the late afternoon, customers were starting to fade thin, and the sun traveled across the sky. The quiet coffee shop cast a shadow on the cool grey sidewalk and tiny snowflakes danced as they floated down from above. Glistening icicles hung from the awning, creating small bursts of every color that shone brightly through the front windows, decorating the walls. Only a few people were inside: Ga-in, Davin, a few customers and another employee, TaeKyu.

He was a somewhat of a quiet boy, with a timid, gentle smile. Standing at an approachable 5'8", he beamed confidence and modesty. His jaw-length hair was a healthy, silky black, and tussled in the breeze when the doors would open, letting in the cold winter air. His faultless face supported his black, thick-rimmed glasses which protected his disheartened eyes. TaeKyu had held this job for a little over a year with little effort. He was good with people, and handled stress very well. Despite his seemingly fatigue demeanor, he was on top of things today. Davin, the new foreign girl, had started and with Ga-in busy training her, it was only common sense that he step it up. He was quite the wonder. The night before wasn't an easy one on him. He was in college and had an important test coming soon, and being the dedicated young man he was, he had stayed up late in the night making sure he was prepared. With everything on his mind, a slightly busy coffee shop to handle, and his weary state, TaeKyu managed to steal some time and watch the new girl attempt her first day. Somehow, it made things easier.

Davin had taken a seat on a small stool behind the counter, taking a breath or two. She couldn't exactly complain; This was a relatively easy job. A supervisor who didn't mind her reoccurring spills, mess-ups, and nervousness was a blessing. The only thing that she hadn't been able to conquer was her co-worker. He had smiled at her a few times during the day which made her both nervous and comfortable. She was glad he was being friendly, but he was also quite cute. Davin shook the thoughts out of her head as she lay back against the wall. "I can't get involved with anyone from work… it just wouldn't end well…" she murmured to herself.

"What's that dear?" Ga-in giggled, walking around the corner from the back room. Her slightly wrinkled face was graced with a smile.

Davin's face turned rouge as she stuttered. "u-uh.. nothing Ga-in-Nim… nothing…" standing up and giving a shallow bow. She played with the cuff of her white long-sleeved shirt, nervously.

"Don't be shy. Relationships with co-workers can be good. Besides, you can always gain a friendship out of it." She smiled again. Ga-in caught the two looking while the other was unaware, and to her, it was absolutely adorable. They both were too nervous to say anything, even if they weren't romantically interested. "TaeKyu-ssi! Would you come here, please?" She called out, waving the young boy over behind the counter. He immediately stopped and walked to his superior.

"oh no…" Davin whined. "This is so awkward…"

"There's nothing to worry about. TaeKyu-ssi is a nice boy. I'm sure you two will get along just fine. You Just have to break the ice. Speaking of which, I have to get rid of those icicles, they're dangerous you know." Just then, he appeared next to her. Smiling, he bowed to Davin as she returned it. "Why don't you two get to know each other a little? I have to take care of those death traps outside." Ga-in laughed, taking a broom and walking out the front door.

An awkward silence filled the space between them as he looked at her, and she stared at the ground. Suddenly, he started to chuckle. With his hands in his pockets, he leaned against the counter, smiling at her. Davin brought her eyes up to meet his and smiled gently. "What's so funny?"

"I'm sorry; I usually make more of an attempt to talk to people. I can't be making a very good first impression." He sighed, his smile becoming timid again. "I haven't gotten a lot of sleep these past days, but I don't think that's a good enough reason for being so rude."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. I haven't been trying my hardest to talk to you either. And I can relate with you. I couldn't sleep a wink last night. I've been nervous about starting this new job, but honestly, its not so bad. I'm actually enjoying it." Davin sighed, and gave him a warm smile. "and your first impression is just fine."

"Well that's a relief. I'm glad you like it here. It's pretty peaceful. It may sound odd, but whenever I'm having a bad day, even if I'm not working, I come here to clear my head. Even before I got the job here, this has always been my happy place." He laughed softly, showing his row of perfect pearly whites.

"I don't think that's strange at all." Davin said, putting on the feminine charm. "Everyone has their own haven."

* * *

"Can everyone back up? The boys can't even get to their van! C'mon! Get back!" a rough man hollered, swatting back fan girls. His deep, commanding voice got a few to obey, but of course, with being a body guard comes the fact that there will be persist fans to deal with. Just then, my hyungs, dongsengs, and I exited the hallway into the open parking lot, surrounded by adoring girls of all ages. SS501 had increased popularity very quickly with our latest album, which meant that although our record work was done, the work of concerts, fan meetings, and survival was about to begin. Female screams filled the air as the flashing lights rained down on us. This was a familiar scene to us. Even prior to the album release, we couldn't go anywhere without being swarmed by girls. That's the Life of a celebrity. HyunJoong hyung lead the way as his younger members followed him, and he did his best to ignore the girls tearing at his soft leather jacket. YoungSaeng helped push his hyung along, inching their way to the van. A few feet behind was HyungJun, JungMin, and me, closely walking together in a group of three. We couldn't help but laugh and smile at all of the fans that had come to see us. A few waves here, a touch there, but we never stopped walking. If we did that, we would never escape. JungMin hugged his bag close to him as he got closer to the vehicle and jumped to get in. Soon, he was followed by HyungJun and myself. The door slid closed and at last, we were finally safe in our muffled sanctuary. It wasn't peace and quiet, but the screams and names were halfway silenced and the soft humming of the heater was relaxing.

"That was fun…" HyunJoong sighed, sarcastically.

"Don't be so mean. Just look at them, they love you!" I said, laughing. Hyung loved his fans with every inch of him, because he knew without them we would be pretty much nothing.

"It's just aggravating when they grab me. They don't know how hard they're squeezing! It really hurts!" he whined, rubbing his arm. He took off his jacket to look at his arm. As long as they didn't leave scratches, he would get over it soon enough.

After a few minutes of conversation, the van slowly began departure into the streets. Now we could _really _relax. I looked out of the window and saw that it was collecting fog. I lifted my hand to it and placed my finger on the icy cold glass. I began to write down lyrics from a song I was writing, when suddenly, another finger touched the glass. It was JungMin. "What're you doing?" I asked, softly. HyungJun had fallen asleep and I didn't want to wake him. JungMin began to laugh the way he always does.

"I'm going to draw a carrot!" he smiled. He leaned over me more, and continued to draw.

"I was doing something! Go draw on YoungSaeng Hyung's window!" I said, trying to swat him away.

"I was going to, but he already drew all over it!" JungMin said, pouting. I looked over to see my hyung's window and it was true. He drew a giant horse with a person's head on it. On the bottom right of the window read "JungMin". I broke out into hysterical laughter, catching his attention. He smiled at me and laughed too. It was very funny to us. No matter how many times we did it, making fun of JungMin never got old. Unfortunately, our amusement had woken up the baby of us all. He pulled the jacket off from over his face, and with squinted eyes, he gave us a unhappy stare.

"Hyung! Why can't you be quiet? I'm very tired!" he cried. He pouted a little, and plopped back into his seat.

"What are you upset about now? You got plenty of rest, you shouldn't be tired." HyunJoong said, tapping the baby's shoulder. "Time to rise and shine, turtle!" he chuckled.

"Maybe he's coming down with something?" YoungSaeng Hyung said, worried. He leaned forward to touch HyungJun's forehead. "He's a little warm… When we get home I want you to go lay down in our room. I will bring you some jjigye for your fever. Maybe you will feel better if you get more rest."

"How come you never take care of us this way?" JungMin scoffed, finally getting off of me and sitting down in his seat.

"I share a room with him. I know his sleeping habits, and he seems sick to me. The last thing we need is him getting sick and having to cancel a concert or something." YoungSaeng said, disregarding JungMin's jealousy.

"I'm fine hyung, really. I'm just tired, that's all." HyungJun mumbled, falling asleep again.

"See! The boy is fine! Quit babying him..." JungMin whined again.

"Shut up, Horse!" HyungJun yelled from underneath his coat.

"I guess if he's sick he can't go to that gaming thing this weekend." HyunJoong hyung laughed, going through his iPod.

"I'm Fine!" HyungJun yelled again. I could hear the frustration in his voice. As mean as it might seem, it brought a smile to my face. I couldn't help but laugh to myself whenever an episode was happening between us.

About half an hour later, we arrived back at our apartment complex. We each lumbered out of the car and stepped out into the cold, brisk air again. The sun was beginning to set, and the sky was turning pink. As everyone started to walk into the building, I remained outside for a little longer. I liked to look at the sky. I could see the tops of all the sky rises in Seoul, and the glistening silver metal of their skeletons. The clouds were beginning to set in and the wind was picking up. Small snowflakes were falling down on me and it felt nice. They melted quickly against the warmth of my skin. I can't exactly remember why, but as I took in how beautiful it was, I could feel something enormous. Something bigger than myself, but it was calming. I wasn't afraid of it, in fact, I wanted to find it. I wanted to search it out and see was that calling out to me. I felt a certain languish in my heart, and I knew that someday soon, I was going to find out.


	3. The First Day of the Rest of My Life

A/N: Chapter Three is here! :D Hopefully everyone likes it so far! I'm working hard to give you guys what you want, so please, enjoy it! And don't forget to REVIEW! PLEASEEE! Thank you! ^__^

Disclaimer: I do not own SS501 or the idea of an iPod, but I did purchase one. :D

**Chapter Three**

Closing time was getting closer and Davin was halfway relieved. For some reason, she wasn't quite ready to go home. She and TaeKyu had talked for some time and they were enjoying each others company. She didn't have to work the next day, which would give her enough time to soak in her new job and its not-so-demanding aptitude. The more time she spent with her co-worker, the less she saw him as potential boyfriend material. Sure he was one of the cutest boys she had ever seen in her life's entirety, but he wasn't her type really. She liked the Happy-go-lucky yet suave guys. The kind of guys that she could really be herself around and TaeKyu, well he was very intellectual. He could go for hours talking about politics, or the complications of modern day life and its affect on the earth. Davin wasn't quiet so serious. She could hold a conversation just as well as any other person, but she would rather do things. Anyways, they had become pretty friendly with one another.

"Okay guys, time to close up!" Ga-in smiled. She was thrilled over the day's good work. She walked into the back room to hang up her apron and grab her heavy winter coat.

TaeKyu approached Davin as she finished up sweeping the stone tile floors. "So, was today a good day, overall?"

"Yeah. I gotta admit, I was terrified when it all started, but I couldn't have asked for a better start." She smiled, picking up the broom and following him into the back room. "How about you?"

"Today was excellent. I even made a new friend." He smiled back, turning to make sure she saw. The back room still smelled of wood and musty hotel. Davin and TaeKyu hung up their uniform aprons and grabbed their coats off the hooks above the hand crafted wooden bench. The dim, pale- yellow lamp was hardly enough light for the room, but it seemed silly to care about it much. No one was in there anyways. As Davin began to exit the room, TaeKyu ran to the lamp, quickly turned it off, and ran to the open door.

"So, what are you up to now, college man?" she asked, shoving her arm through the thick bubbled sleeve of her coat.

"Nothing. I'm going to meet up with a friend to study some more. I really need to make sure I pass this test. If I don't, I could possibly fail the class later on." He said, zipping up. Despite his carefree tone of voice, a worried expression was left on his face.

"Don't worry yourself into sickness. You won't do well on it if you over-think. Take it easy for a day or two. I'm sure your brain needs rest." Davin said, preparing herself as she stepped into the dark sidewalk, surrounded by the freezing February air.

"You're right. I should rest. I'll start right after tonight. My friend is already waiting up on me. Did you park over there?" he said pointing to the parking lot across the street with her small yellow car parked underneath streetlight. She nodded yes in confirmation. "So what about you? Any plans besides resting later on?"

"Meh, I'm not so sure. I think I'm going to just take it easy today. My nerves feel like they're about to snap. When is the next time you work?" Both of them were crossing the street now, watching out for the cars still passing by. A flashy, technetronic new car idled by; Bass blaring so loud the windows were shaking.

"Oh wow, you're cool." TaeKyu laughed, to himself. Davin chuckled a bit. "I work tomorrow too, the same hours. You should come by if you get bored. I hardly ever talk to anyone. No one interesting ever comes in." he sighed, flicking his head to the side, swinging his long, dark bangs out of his way of vision.

"That sounds like fun. I think I will." She smiled. Finally, they had made it to the parking lot and TaeKyu waited outside of her car while she searched for her keys. "Do you need a ride? It's not a problem."

"Oh no! It's fine, really. My car is right there-" he said, pointing to a pretty new convertible. The onyx paint sparkled as she turned on her headlights.

"Okay. Hey… would you like my phone number? We seem to get along pretty well, and maybe we could hang out sometime. I could also cover for you for work if you ever needed me to." Davin said, slightly nervous.

"Sure! That sounds great." He laughed. "You don't have to be so nervous. I'm a pretty outgoing person."

"I've noticed." She laughed. She wrote down the digits onto a napkin she found in her bag. Handing it to him, he smiled brightly, his prefect teeth nearly blinding her.

"Thanks! I'll call you sometime!" he said, bouncing up and down, obviously cold.

"Okay. I'll talk to you later. Get in your car now! You're gunna die before you even get a chance to pass your test!" she laughed, rolling up her car window. TaeKyu waved goodbye and ran for his car. Davin turned up her heater again and waited for the car to warm up. Even now she could hear her father telling her to wait until the engine was warm. 'You could really screw up your car that way', he would say over and over again. At last, she put her car in reverse, drove out of the baron parking lot, and sped down the highway to her apartment complex. "Today is the first day of the rest of my life."

* * *

February, Wednesday 06, 2010

I woke up to the screeching of my alarm clock right beside my bed. With my face still stuffed between my pillows I reached out to slam on the snooze button. Sadly for me, HyunJoong hyung moved it. Unwillingly, I sat up to seize the cursed beeping. The blinds were halfway open so that just enough sunlight could seep through to sting my eyes. With the door closed, the heat was collected in the room. I was very pleased because I hated waking up to a cold room after getting up from your warm, comfy bed. Habitually, I stretched my arms up high, yawning, and I sluggishly rolled out of bed. I began to rub my eyes and put on my glasses when I heard a knock on the door. HyunJoong hyung walked in, smiling warmly.

"Good morning, Jongie. Did you sleep well?" My hyung always woke up in a good mood, no matter what happened the day before. A good night's rest always made things better with him. He was dressed for the day and towel drying his hair. The fresh, artificial scent of the ocean made its way up my nose, really waking me up. He walked to the rack of clothing that belonged to him and bent down to open a small bag. He reached inside and pulled out a pair of new white socks.

"I slept well, hyung. How did you sleep?" I said, stretching again. I lumbered next to him as we walked out of our room.

"Well, better than the night before last." He said, chuckling. Entering the living room, I was struck by the aroma of YoungSaeng hyung's cooking. I could smell eggs and bacon. I looked around to see JungMin watching TV and HyunJoong hyung had made his way to the table.

"Where is HyungJun?" I asked, scratching my head and walking to the couch. I took a seat next to JungMin as I laid my feet on him.

"He's pretending to be sick." JungMin scoffed. I could tell he had started the morning pretty lonely. He usually woke up HyungJun, but with him being sick, JungMin had no choice but to sit around and wait for something to happen.

"I don't think he's faking it. I really think he's sick." YoungSaeng hyung said, scraping all of the food onto a plate. He carried it to the table, and immediately JungMin and I got up to go and eat.

"Is he coughing? I can't afford to get sick…" HyunJoong hyung said, scooting in closer to the table. The sound of the chair legs clawing at the floor filled the house, and soon, HyungJun opened the door to join us in the dining room. "Hey, were you coughing? I can't afford to get sick…" my hyung said again, looking up at HyungJun.

"No, hyung. I wasn't coughing at all. I'm not sick. YoungSaeng hyung just thinks I am." He said, wiping the sweat off of his forehead with the back of his hand.

"Good… I'm glad you're feeling alright." My hyung said, smiling. He patted the empty space on the table, and HyungJun took his seat.

Breakfast was usual with our talking of what we intended on doing during the day. None of us really had anything major to do. JungMin and HyunJoong Hyung were going to watch some movies. HyungJun mentioned visiting his brother Kibum for a while and pre-recording stuff for his radio show. After we ate, we cleaned up our mess and I decided to shower. I grabbed some clean clothes from my room and walked into the bathroom. I turned on the shower and put my hand underneath the running water. Even though I was warm already, the hot water felt nice and soothing. Disrobing, I stepped into the shower and stood there for a while. As I was immersed in water, I thought to myself how badly I needed more relaxing time. I can be a pretty stressed out person sometimes.

* * *

"_I didn't have to work after all. Is now a good time to hang out?"_ Davin read the text message on her phone. TaeKyu had finally contacted her and with her boring schedule, she decided it was a good change of pace.

"_Sure. What should we do?" _ she waited for a reply which didn't take very long at all. She pressed unlock on her white cell phone and opened the text message.

"_I have my friend with me right now, I hope you don't mind. We studied some more this morning. Wanna meet at the coffee shop?"_ Coffee didn't sound too good to her, but she was definitely in the mode for a chai latte. A warm latte on a cold winter day was always perfect.

"_Definitely! I'll meet you there soon!"_ she was already prepared for the day, knowing she would go there anyways. She slipped on her coat, grabbed her car keys, and left her apartment. The drive to the shop was a quick one, as traffic was very light. Instead of pulling into the parking lot, she parked in the street, a few feet away from the front doors. Happily, she jumped out of the car and ran into the building. Smiling, she opened the door to see TaeKyu and Ga-in talking. He was offering money to pay for his coffee, but naturally, the kind woman declined.

"Well hello there!" Ga-in chimed. "I don't suppose it's a coincidence that you are both here at the same time?" she laughed, whole heartedly. Winking at TaeKyu, she handed him some napkins.

"Ga-in-Nim, we're just friends. I even brought another friend with me to meet her." He said laughing, partially embarrassed.

"He's right. We're just friends, Ga-in-Nim." Davin smiled, walking up to the counter.

"There's nothing wrong with that." The woman smiled, nodding her head. "What can I get for you, darling?" she said, reaching over and touching Davin's red, chilled hands.

"Can I have a chai latte please, Ga-in-Nim? Coffee has been too harsh on my stomach these past months." The young girl said, taking off her coat and patting her tummy. Her blue v-neck, long sleeved shirt and white camisole was a nice bright alternative to her plain, beige uniform apron and white shirt. Her long, dark brown hair fell straight to the middle of her back as she brushed it out of her face.

"Of course, dear." Ga-in smiled. "You look very nice today."

Davin blushed slightly and looked out of the big window-walls in the front of the shop. "Thank you, Ga-in-Nim." As Davin tried to pay, she too was declined and her drink was handed to her. Bowing to the kind woman, she back away and turned to see TaeKyu sitting at a table next to the front door. He was accompanied by a young woman not much taller than 5'0". She was wearing a heavy black winter coat with red plaid cuffs and big silver buttons down the center. She was petite framed with a slightly dark olive skin tone. She too was wearing thick rimmed black glasses which complimented her face well. Her small face was framed by her short hair which was also a silky black. As Davin approached the table, TaeKyu stood up and bowed to her. The girl remained seated.

He smiled and waved his hand to introduce his friend. "Davin, this is Jasmin. She's in my study group and we're pretty good friends. We hang out a lot and she can be shy, so don't pay attention if she seems inattentive." He laughed, sitting back down.

"Hi. It's nice to meet you." Davin said, bowing to the girl. Jasmin stood up and smiled warmly. "It's nice to meet you too. You're from America I hear? Your accent is weird. Where are you from?"

"I'm from Chicago. I don't have an accent. You do. I can tell you're from pretty far down south. Your Spanish accent is thick." Davin said, laughing softly.

"Yepp. I'm from Texas. As close to Mexico as you can get. You're from Chicago huh? That's pretty awesome." Jasmin said, sitting back down. Davin walked to the other side of the table and took a seat across from her.

"Thanks. So, if you're from deep Texas, what the hell are you doing in Seoul?" Davin snickered, taking a sip of her drink. Jasmin laughed too. It was a normal question to ask. She hadn't come across an America in a while, so she felt fairly comfortable.

"I'm attending college here. I wanted to study abroad and Korea is pretty. I love the people here." She said, nodding confidently.

"Wow, you're lucky. I'm holding off on college. I just wanted to live in Korea for a while. I've always loved the culture and its language, even when I was younger. I've lived here for a little while on my own going from job to job. It can be tough living here if you're not Korean though. I've found it to be a little overwhelming at times." Davin sighed. It was the truth. She had been through some hard times since her big move to Seoul, but her love for the country always seemed to lessen the pain.

"You don't say? Well, I've got it easy then." Jasmin laughed. "I like you. You're pretty cool. You're the friendliest American I've met since I started school here. You'd think we'd be friendlier with each other since we're all alone in a foreign country, but _no_." she said, rolling her eyes, then smiling.

"Really? Well, thanks! I'm flattered." Davin beamed. Finally, she had found a friend worth having. "I like you too. It's really nice to make a new friend."

"Jeez, Americans make friends with people quick. I kinda figured you guys were a little bit alike, but my goodness." TaeKyu laughed. He leaned back in his chair. "anyways, what do you guys want to do today?"

"How about we live it up? I've got money to spend, and it would be my pleasure to treat you both to a fun day." Davin smiled, genuinely. "I've wanted to visit Apgujeong again, but I've been busy these past few weeks."

"Are you sure? We don't have a lot of money, but its enough to get by for the day." TaeKyu said, graciously refusing the offer.

"Yeah, we'll feel bad for taking all of your money…" Jasmin said. She was both excited, and taken aback by such a quick decision.

"Of course. I'll be the host. Host pays for everyone's stuff, right? I haven't hosted for anyone yet, and I think my turn is way overdue. C'mon. It'll be fun!"

"Alright, if you say so." TaeKyu said, smiling his million dollar smile.

"This is gunna be so much fun!" Jasmin squeaked, obviously excited. As they exited the coffee shop, they waved to Ga-in, and thanked her. It was decided since Davin had been there frequently and she would drive them around for the day. As they piled into the sporty, yellow car she turned up the heater and turned on the stereo.

"Does your car play iPods?" TaeKyu asked, pulling his black one out of his coat pocket and unwinding the headphones from around it.

"Yeah, just plug it in." she said, signaling left and pulling away from the curb.

TaeKyu turned it on and searched through his list of songs. At last, he chose one he assumed the girls would like. "I bet you two will like these guys…"


	4. A Little More Complete

A/N: Weee Chapter Four is up, finally! I'm really sorry about the wait guys, but I've had a SEVERE case of writer's block. T^T Please review! I Need Motivation~! Also, disregard the dates I've been placing in the story. I don't care too much about that anymore. Haha XD

**Chapter Four**

_Bingeul, Bingeul, Bingeul, Bingeul! _ The music rang from within the small, yellow sports car. TaeKyu had chosen a fresh, upbeat song for their driving track. The three friends were deep into the flow of Seoul traffic on their way to Apgujeong. The sun was blinding as it reflected off of the white snow. Davin reached for her bag in the back seat and shuffled around for her sunglasses.

"I Love this song!" She squealed, unfolding the glasses and sliding them on top of her ears. "I used to listen to it, seriously, everyday." She said, looking at TaeKyu in the front passenger seat, and laughing slightly.

"Me too! Isn't this U-Kiss? Their music is pretty good." Jasmin said, laughing. "Kevin is so cute!" Both girls began to snicker with each other, as TaeKyu sat regretting his song choice.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have chosen them. I hope this doesn't lead to a fan-girling session all day." He smiled, jokingly. Davin smiled and shook her head.

"Don't worry. I think we'll be able to handle ourselves like mature adults."

As time slowly passed by, the made their way down the highway. Red lights, crossing pedestrians, and the occasional bad driver would always slow them down every few minutes. The music in the small car would always change, sometimes without the previous song even finishing. When a song came up that everyone knew, they would sing together, and depending on how much they loved it, they would sometimes scream the lyrics. Passing people would stare or maybe laugh as the three young adults forgot about maintaining their 'maturity'.

Barely within a half an hour, the small sports car pulled into the busy street filled with cars, people, street vendors, shops and clubs. After the intense search for a parking spot, which happened to be blocks down from where they wanted to be, Davin maneuvered the vehicle into a spot and the three friends got out. Stretching their arms to the sky and releasing long sighs, their excitement grew.

"I'm SO EXCITED! I have never been here before. I've only heard about it. My friend told me it's supposed to be amazingly hip!" Jasmin said, looking at her reflection in the car window and fixing her hair. Her breath fogged up the window as she leaned in closer to check her make-up.

"I 'm pretty sure I've only been here once, now that I think about it." TaeKyu said, also excited. Once again, this perfectly, white smile graced his face. "What are we waiting for? Let's get going! I'm so pumped for this!" Jasmin said, lightly pushing TaeKyu repetitively. "Let's go go go!"

"Okay, okay!" Davin laughed, pressing the button on her keychain, locking her car. As they began to walk, they noticed the wind was calm. "Well I think we'll be able to walk around a bit more since the wind has died down." She said, unzipping her coat a little. She was still a bit warm from the ride there.

"Yeah, I think so too. I'm pretty glad, actually. We won't have to leave earlier because of it being too cold." TaeKyu said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Even in the uncomfortable temperatures of the winter weather, he walked with confidence and suave. He wasn't oblivious to the attention he got from random women in the street, even older women. Even though he wasn't in to dating noonas, he appreciated their comments the most. They were usually honest and authentic.

"where should we go first?" Jasmin said, putting on her hat.

"Well, I think we should grab some food and plan out our day. That way, we aren't running around clueless all day." Davin said, slightly nodding her head.

"Bingeul, Bingeul?" TaeKyu laughed, bobbing his head.

"Yes. Bingeul, Bingeul." The three friends continued walking as they picked out a nice traditional restaurant to eat at.

* * *

"Alright, my time here is up, but don't you worry! I will be back soon with another addition to Music High! This is Kim HyungJun, signing off with the amazing U-kiss- Bingeul, Bingeul. Goodnight everyone. I love you!"

HyungJun had gone into SBS studios to pre-record his radio segment for Music High. Unfortunately, since the launch of their newest album, his schedule had become outrageously busy. He set down his headset and scooted his wheeled chair out from under the desk. Waving at the webcam he had installed for his fans, he bowed and smiled sweetly. Suddenly, YoungSaeng walked into the camera's shot and smiled alongside his friend. The two boys enjoyed being on camera together and played childishly. Their fans loved that kind of stuff. The small room smelled of highlight markers and freshly printed paper.

YoungSaeng hugged his younger band mate and felt his forehead. "Omo, are you still sick?" he had become seriously worried. HyungJun had denied being sick, but that didn't mean anything. "We're going to the store to get you some medicine. You've got a fever." The two boys bowed a final time before exited the room and becoming a bit more serious.

"Hyung, really. I'm fine. I'm just a little warm. I mean, the furnace is on. It's winter; and I still have my jacket on. If I get sick, I'll be sure to tell you. I promise." The maknae reassured. He patted YoungSaeng's cheek; his innocent smile tugged at the corners of his lips. HyungJun opened the door to the hallway and both men exited.

"You better. I'll really be upset with you if you don't. You know how I feel about you guys getting sick, and refusing to get help. I don't need any of you dying. I don't know what I would do."

"Seriously, You're leading my slight fever to my death? Hyung, I think we need to get out more."

"Hey, it could happen. You have to promise me, nothing will tear us apart. Not even death." YoungSaeng's smile had turned into a stern gaze. His eyes, although soft and loving, we're very solemn. He stopped walking and stared at HyungJun.

"Of course, Hyung. Nothing will ever tear us apart. We'll always be together. 501, remember?" He smiled again. He could have been serious, but his eyes would have started to water. He always cried so easily, but he had never considered it a weakness. He truly loved being able to feel everything.

"Right. 501."

* * *

In all honestly, I couldn't take being in that apartment anymore. Sure, my day had started out pretty well, set aside the horrible alarm waking me. All in all, noting bad had happened, so I guess it was technically a good day. I had finished my shower, which I'll admit, was unusually long. I thought about a lot of things; things that normally didn't even notice. It was actually a little depressing. After I got dressed I figured a walk would do me some good. I didn't even wait for my hair to fully dry. I pulled out a nice-looking, random sweater with a hood and some jeans. Sure, I didn't want to be noticed, but that didn't mean I had to dress like a bum. I grabbed my coat and I made my way to the front door sliding on my sunglasses when my hyung stopped me.

"KyuJong" he said, "Where are you going? It's cold outside." HyunJoong had put in a movie for him and JungMin to watch. They were bored, but were too lazy to go do anything about it. They enjoyed movies though.

"Nowhere, hyung. I'm just going on a walk. I need some fresh air." I replied, smiling. I pulled my hood up and opened the front door. "I'll be back later. Call me, if you need me."

The hallway in our apartment complex was a lot warmer than I had expected. Of course, the air was musty and oddly thick with the smell of pine. Someone must have _just _gotten rid of their Christmas tree. I walked down to the end of the corridor and pressed the button to the elevator. After waiting for a few moments, the 'ding' sounded and the doors slid open. I got in, and pressed the button to take me to the first floor. I waited and waited. Weird how no one else had gotten on, but I wasn't about to complain. I don't know why, but I really wanted to be alone. It wasn't like I was miserable or anything. I was actually pretty content with my life. Everything had been going great.

I finally arrived to the first floor and the doors opened again. The lobby was cooler than the hallway, which made me feel better. I needed some clean air. I exited the elevator and walked to the front door of the complex. The doorman was standing there, as usual. He smiled at me, and his aging wrinkles gathered beneath his eyes. He was a very nice man, though obviously closing in on the end of his career. I would miss him when he left. I bowed respectfully to him, as he opened the door for me.

"It's supposed to be very cold today. Don't stay out too long." He said, chuckling. I smiled at this.

"Oh, I won't, trust me. I'm not too fond of the wind chill."

I can't remember the last time the air was this pure. I just stood there, briefly. I closed my eyes and inhaled. The sweet scent of ice and fresh air filled my lungs. I remember how white everything was. It was like everything was covered in glitter. The sun was shining and the snow sparkled. The cars rushing by were emitting smoke from their tailpipes, and the snow in the street had turned into brown slush. I looked to my right and to my left. Which way should I go? I guess it didn't really matter as I would just make a full circle trip. My left held heavy traffic and the intersection where I was sure to be seen; how attractive. To my right the traffic was lightening up, and a little ways down, there would be a park; I used to sit at that park with my friends, which later turned into my band mates. We would talk about what was new, and what was old; we talked about what made us happy and what made us cry. Eventually, we had gotten too famous to just enjoy life in public without being hassled. I wanted to go back to that park. Right it is.

The sidewalk was shoveled and rock salt was sprinkled on it so the ice would melt. The crunch of the ice beneath my feet was even louder than snow would have been, but anything was better than silence. The wind wasn't so bad. It was just enough to feel nice against my skin. I had walked about two blocks before I could see the trees of the park. I was already smiling to myself. I remember climbing the trees with HyungJun. We had gotten all the way to the top once. The sky was turning a light pink and we sat in the branches, watching the sun set past the horizon of the skyscrapers. Once it had gotten darker, we decided to climb back down, but found ourselves too afraid. We we're a lot like cats, quiet honestly. It had taken us about two hours to climb back down. As I thought about this, I found myself with a foolish grin on my face. I'll always cherish that memory.

The grass was covered with about three feet of snow, and the footprints of small children had defiled the crisp blanket of white. Although now there was only a mother and her little boy, I could envision all the kids running around, swimming in their imaginations. I wanted to play in the snow, but as a young man by himself, walking through it would have to be good enough. I lifted my knees high as I treaded through the snow. I had decided to sit on a swing held up by metal chains. The chains had plastic coating on it, colored yellow. As I sat down, my mind instantly began to wonder again. This place had been associated with my happiness and innocence. I was happy. I was pretty sure I was. I had become a famous singer, and was living my dream.

I had always wanted this. Sure there were some things I couldn't have because of it, and I had taken them for granted before this. I couldn't walk around in busy places without being ambushed. I had lost most of my high school friends, and I hardly had time to make new friends. I didn't even have a girlfriend. Was I really happy? Of course I was, how I could I think a thing like that?

My thoughts were shattered by a blaring car horn. I looked up and found that the sun had moved a little. It wasn't so bright outside anymore. I looked at my cell phone to see what time it was. I had been gone for two hours? Really? It seemed like I had sat in that swing for five minutes. I let out a heavy sigh and stood up. Sitting in a swing for two hours isn't the best idea, let me tell you. You'll be sore. I adjusted my coat and zipped it up further. Yeah, the sun was still out, but it was getting colder. I looked back at the tree that I had climbed with my friend. The leaves were completely gone. Its branches stretching out like cold, dead arms. It made me a little sad to see it so… naked. I walked up to the trunk and dug away the snow until I found a dark brown leaf. I was slightly deteriorated and soaking wet, but I picked it up anyways. I reached up and set it on the lowest branch. Why was I so upset over something that happens naturally?

"There… now you aren't totally bare." I said, gently patting the freezing bark of the tree. Turning around and walking away from the park; I felt a little more complete. Soon, I had found my way back to the sidewalk and the crunching of salt welcomed me again. No matter how old I got, I had always wanted to hug that tree. Ridiculous as it might have sounded, just once I would have liked to embrace what I used to have.


End file.
